ABOUT THIS ALBUM

Album Notes

SCOTT HAMILTON..."Remembering Billie" JUST IN!...Stunning Reviews are coming in daily..check out what the critics are saying here. Now this Audiophile 24 bit recording...AVAILABLE IN 180 GRAM VINYL! http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/scotthamilton32

“Scott Hamilton ..He swings, he’s always in the pocket and he doesn’t need/have to prove anything. If you want to listen to some sweet jazz that’s played for the sheer joy of it, you and this set are going to get along just fine. Killer stuff that gives mainstream jazz a good name no matter how much dirt hipsters try to kick at it.” By Chris Spector Midwest Record

“Remembering Billie, is something of a magnum opus, from an artist who is at a place in his illustrious career where a magnum opus is just what is needed to top so many previous glorious albums. This one — a tribute to the early, more freely swinging recordings of the inimitable Billie Holiday, is played with equally matchless style by saxophonist Scott Hamilton. The album, produced by Duke Robillard, displays the versatility and impeccable taste that Hamilton has been sharing for decades.” By Greg Victor Parcbench.com

“Give a listen to Remembering Billie and you will hear one of the best of the players in this tradition, the aforementioned Mr. Hamilton… Producer Duke Robillard contributes his guitar mastery… Hamilton can caress a ballad and swing his forever off with the best of them…Put it all together and the result is pure listening pleasure” by Joseph Lang New Jersey Jazz

“It's his first effort for Duke Robillard's Blue Duchess Records…it's a splendid effort that captures the 58-year-old Hamilton in prime, relaxed form, reminding those who need to be reminded that few tenor players swing with his consummate ease, or cut to the emotional heart of a song as consistently” by Lloyd Sachs WDCB Chicago

“Scott Hamilton is swinging on this dedication to the music sung by Billie Holiday. His warm tone on sax is mesmerizing.” By D. Oscar Groomes O’s Place Jazz Magazine

“With Hamilton blowing it hot, cool and sweet, the listener is in for a rare musical Holiday that expertly recalls Lady Day’s way with a song. ” Eric Feber, THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

“In the magical hands of Scott Hamilton, it's the personification of musical elegance, the aural equivalent of candlelight and wine…Hamilton takes his time exploring each tune, gently embellishing and extrapolating with graceful aplomb….It's nice to hear the joy, the sheer musical elation, just as much a part of her legacy, celebrated in such an elegant fashion. A lovely way indeed to remember Billie, it simply doesn't get much better than this.” by John Taylor Blinded by Sound

“Tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton digs into the earlier Holiday sound on his fine new tribute recording, Remembering Billie… Hamilton’s gently swinging swagger is on great display here. This is a dandy. Savor it all.” By Ken Franckling’s Jazz Notes

In 1977, Scott Hamilton, newly arrived in New York and recently signed to Concord Records began a lengthy recording association with Rosemary Clooney, a fellow Concord artist and a superior pop singer. Those collaborations amounted to fifteen LPs over fifteen years, a substantial body of work.The album projects involved a variety of different concepts: composer projects involving the repertoire of a Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, Irving Berlin or Johnny Mercer; individual projects of ballads, show tunes and the like and a couple of dedications, to Bing Crosby and Billie Holiday.The Holiday project was a natural, not just for the songs but the concept. The small group recordings led either by Billie or Teddy Wilson featuring Holiday vocals in the pre-WWII years were a perfect example of how singer and jazz group could make meaningful music together. Those Rosemary Clooney albums have stood the test of time and sooner or later they will be recognized as some of the greatest jazz records of the time. Scott Hamilton’s own projects have generally avoided dedications of that sort. His talent is so definitive that he needs to spread it around among ballads, blues, pop tunes and jazz originals. At this writing he is approaching his fifty-eighth birthday and has nothing left to prove. Perhaps the time has come to lend his imprimatur to the repertoire to certain artists. Certainly the performance of the Billie Holiday-associated material in this disc makes for memorable music. Only “Good Morning Heartache”, “Them There Eyes” and “God Bless The Child” were on the Clooney album.Eight of the ten selections here are from that pre-WWII era when Billie’ work contained a lightness, great joy and a sense of fun. She made it sound so easy but then so does Scott Hamilton. But you know it cannot be easy or else all musicians would have that quality and very, very few actually do. This is timeless music played by one of the few masters of our time. Treasure it.Bob Porter

http://blueduchessrecords.com/artists_hamilton.html check out these other great Blue Duchess artists at http://blueduchessrecords.com/

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